Torque control switch



Get. 31, 144. s. WEISS 2,361,439

TORQUE CONTROL SWITCH Filed 1290.29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 SAMUEL WEIDV 78 lNVENTOR ATTORNW' Oct. 31, 1944. 7 5 W355 TORQUE CONTROL SWITCH Filed Dec. 29, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 2 rI/AIS n IIIIIIIH INVENTOR BY 9 ATTORNEYS Oct. 31, 1944.

s. WEISS 231,43

TORQUE CONTROL SWITC H Filed Dec. 29, 1941 .5 Sheets-Sheet 5 SAMUEL WEISS INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Get. 31, 1944 umrao STATES PATENT, OFFICE TORQUE SWI'I CH l I Samuel Weiss,

Portland, reg., Vaughan Motor Company, Inc.,

assignor to Portland,

0reg., a corporation of Oregon Application December 29, 1941, Serial No. 424,723

- 2 Claims.

, will be best understood by describing a practical construction in which the invention is embodied, I shall explain the purpose and mode of operation of, my invention when used in connection with a gate valve employing an operating motor and requiring control means therefor. In such a gate valve, particularly a valve of the wedge-gate type, when the closing and opening of the valve is produced through the operation of an electric motor, suflicient force must be exerted by the motor, when closing the valve, to insure the complete and proper seating of the line 3-3 of Figure 2, but drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view .,of the transmission and control unit, with certain parts broken away for clarity, and corresponding to the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional side elevation of the transmission unit shown removed from the housing and drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 6 is a sectional side elevation of.the

switch unit, showing the control elements in opvalve in the valve seat, and when this is properly v accomplished, further operation of the motor should be immediately prevented, since such further operation would merely result in an undesirable torque strain on the operating mechanism. However, various conditions may effect the amount of power required for properly seating the valve, as well as the length of the period of operation of the motor for this purpose; and, furthermore, it will be found that when a wedgegate valve has been firmly seated in its valve seat, a considerably greater exertion of power is required at first in order to start to reopen the valve than is required in closing or seating it.

An object of this invention, when employed in connection with the motor-operating mechanismfor such a gate valve, is to provide an improved automatic electric control for the mechanism which will cause the same to function reliably and insure proper closing and opening of the vgate valve, but which will protect the mechanism from any undue torque strain.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved electric switch to be used in combi nation with a mechanical torque control operating device.

These and other objects of my invention will be readily understood when explained in conjunction with the gate valve control mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood however that my invention may also readilv be adapted for use in connection with other power-driven devices.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a gate valve device embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a corresponding end elevation of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of the transmission and control unit, corresponding to posite position from that disclosed in Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the gear train located above the transmission housing, for effect ing opening and closing of the gate valve, show ing also the connecting means for the mechanism limiting the opening of the valve;

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic layout of the limit switches with their associated elements and circuits; and

Figure 9 is a side elevation of one of the pair of swinging brackets and associated contact elements of my improved electric switch.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the case or housing A, in which the torque control mechanism and switch are contained, is attached to a plate ID mountedon suitable bosses provided on the standard I2. The standard I2 is supported on the upper portion I4 or bonnet of the housing of a conventional gate valve which housing also includes the lower part or portion shaped type, and is connected to a threaded stem I5. A hand wheel l6, rotatably secured in bearings which prevent any axial movement of the wheel, has a threaded hub through which the stem .I5 passes and which engages the stem. Rotation of the wheel l6 thus causes the stem I5 to be raised or lowered and furnishes the medium through which the gate valve may be manually opened or closed.

Where the prime mover for operating the opening and closing of the gate valve is an electric motor, such motor B (Figure 1), is secured at the end of the case or housing A. A motordriven shaft or armature shaft (Figure 3) extends longitudinally within the transmission housing A and hasa bevel pinion I8 secured at its inner end. Suitable packing material I9 is placed about the hub of the bevel pinion l8 to prevent lubricant from the transmission housing A leaking into the motor B.

A bevel gear 20 (Figure 3), secured on a shaft 2|, meshes with the bevel pinion l8 and causes rotation to be imparted to the shaft 2|. Shaft 2|, at its lower end, is mounted in ananti-friction bearing 22, and this hearing is secured in the flanged bore 23 of the transmission housing A by a bearing retainer 24. The upper end of the shaft 2| is disposed in an anti-friction bearing 33 (Figure 5) which in turn is supported within the hub 33 oi a planetary gear 34. The planetary gear 34 has an integral stem or shaft 31 which extends in axial alinement with the shaft 2| (see also Fi ure 3).

A spur gear 26 (Figure 5) is formed integral with the shaft 2|, or is mounted securely thereon. A pinion carrying member 21, of larger diameter, is rotatably mo'unted on shaft 2| between the spur gear 26 and the bevel gear 20. This pinion carrying member 21 is mounted for rotation on a double-set of anti-friction bearings 23 which are spaced apart by a center washer 23.

A pair of planetary pinions 32 (Figures 5 and 3) are mounted on shouldered pins 33 carried by the pinion carrying'member 21. The pins 33 extend above the member 21 and have shouldered bushings 33 on which the planetary pinions 32 are mounted for rotation. The teeth of these planetary pinions 32 mesh with the teeth on the inside of the periphery of the planetary gear 34 and also with the teeth of the spur gear 26,

asapparent from Figure 5.

,The stem or shaft 31, of the planetary gear 34, is supported in a pair of bearings 36and '39 (Figure 3). The bearing 38 is mounted in a top plate 46 of the transmission housing and hearing 33 is mounted in the hub 43 of the bearingretainer 42. Thus the shafts 31 and 2|, although in axial alinement, may'rotate independently'oi each other. depending upon the rotation of the interconnecting gears.

The member 21 (Figures 3 and 4) meshes with a rack 3|, the axial movement of which operates an electric switch in a manner to be described later. The rack 3| comprises atoothed body portion 43 and a stem 66 of smaller diameter, the end of which is further reduced in diameter and is threaded. The opposite end of the body portion 43 is slidabl journaledin a bearing 62 integral with the housing. The stem 66 is Journaled in a hub 33, formed in the partition S4 of the housing, which partition divides the gear mechanism from the control switch. Suitable packing material 65 is disposed about the stem 66 within a recess in the hub 53 to pre vent any lubricant from the gear mechanism leaking into the compartment containing the control switch. A washer 66 holds the packing material 65 within the recess.

A compression spring 51 is carried on the stem 56 and is held-under tension .between washer 66 at one end and washer 68 at the other end. Lock nuts 53 hold the latter washer and provide the means for adjust ng the tension of the spring 51. A trip member 66 is also carried on the threaded end. SI of the stem 50 and is longitudinally adjustable thereon. The trip member 60 has a tripping arm 6| adapted to engage a slidable trip rod 62.

The control switch, which is designated in general by C in Figures 3, 4 and 6, includes a pair of top and bottom plates 65 and 65' which are spaced apart and secured together by posts 63, 64 and 61, and the top plate in turn is attached to the top of the housing A as shown in Figures 3 and 6.

The trip rod 62 is 'supported in, and slides through, the posts 63 and 64. A lever 86 (Figures 3 and 6), pivoted on a lug attached to the bot- ,tom plate 65', has its upper or long arm hingis also supported from the bottom plate 66'. En-

ergizing of the solenoid coil 3| thus operates to move the trip rod 62 to the right, as viewed in Figures 3 and 6, Figure 3 showing the position before, and Figure 6 the position after, such movement. 7

A second trip rod 13, located at substantially the same level as trip rod 62, is slidably supported in the post 61 extending between the plates 63 and 65' This second trip rod 19 ,is shown more clearly in Figure 4 and is provided with a pair of set collars 32 and 64 located as shown in Figure 4. A spring 63, carried on the trip rod 13, and held under tension between the post 61 and the collar 64, normally keeps the trip rod 13 in the position shown in Figure 4 with the set collar 32 urged against thepost 61. A lever 35 (Figures 3 and 6), pivotally mounted on a lug attached to the bottom plate 66', has its upper end connected to the trip rod 19 and carries a cam roller at its lower end.

A pair of posts 68 and 68' (Figure 4) of insulatng material also extend between the plates 66 and 65'. Two pairs of metal contact plates 69 edly connected to the trip rod 62 and its lower or shortarmvhingedly connected to the movable core of; a sol enoid coil 3|, which solenoid coil and 69' are secured to each of the insulating I posts 63 and 68', respectively. Each contact plate 69, and 69 has a terminal 16 or 16' to which aconductor wire is attached and a breaker point 1| or 1|. A swinging bracket 12 (Figure 4) is pivotally mounted between the top and bottom plates 65 and 65 and is connected by a snapover spring 11 to the trip rod 62. A second similar swinging bracket 13 is oppositely mounted between the plates 65 and 66', and. is connected by a snapover spring 16 to the second trip rod 19. The two swinging brackets are identical except that they are oppositelyarranged, and one of these swinging brackets is shown in Figure 9. Each bracket carries two pairs of contact elements 16 or 16', adapted to close the contacts respectively between a corresponding pair ofbreaker points 1| or 1| on the posts 68 or 66'. The pa rs of contact elements 16 and 16' are resiliently mounted in insulating blocks 15 and 15' carried by the swinging brackets 12 and 13 respectively.

' A pinion 44 (Figure 3) is secured to the top a of the shaft 31. Pinion 44 meshes with a gear 46 which is Journaled concentric with the threaded valve stem i5. A lock ng pin 41 (Figure 1), disposed through the hub of the hand wheel 16, is adapted to engage with an-opening 48(Figure '1) in gear 46. When the locking pin 41 is caused to engage the gear 46 in this manner, rotation of the gear 46 causes otation of the hand wheel l6, and rotation of the hand wheel it causes axial movement of the threaded valve stem l5, and consequently movement of the gate valve, in the manner previously explained. when the locking pin 41 is disengaged from the opening 48 the hand wheel l6 may be manually rotated independently of the gear 46 and its associated mechanism, and thus the valve stem and gate valve may be operated entirely by hand whenever this should be desired under special circumstances.

' A vertical shaft 66 (Figures 3 and 6) is journaled in the housing A and extends above the top of the housing. The portion 61 of the shaft whch is located within the housing A, is threaded and a cam nut is mounted thereon. The cam nut 96 is also siidable on a vertical gu de rod 9| which ,serves to prevent the nut 90 from turning when the shaft 86 is rotated and thus the rotation of the shaft 88 produces up or down moveaa'cncsc ment of the cam nut 90 within the housing A. A gear 39, attached to the top of the shaft 88,

V meshes with a pinion 92 attached to the gear when the gate valve has reached its fully-opened i position, the cam nut 99, by engaging the cam roller 80, will produce movement of the trip rod,

19 against the tension of its spring 83, and retcr in a manner which will be explained later.

In the operation of the mechanism for closing the gate valve, the electric current to the motor is turned on, causingthe motor-driven shaft I] (Figure 3) and its bevel pinion I8 to be rotated,

which in turn causes rotation of gear 20, shaft 2|, and integral spur gear-26. Rotation of spur gear 26 will impart rotation to the planetary pinions 32, the rotation being counter-clockwise, as viewed in Figure 4, and as indicated by the arrows, when the gate valve is being closed.

Since the center pinion 21 is ordinarily restrained against rotation by the rack 3!, the planetary suit in the shutting off of the current to the mopinions 32 temporarily are held in the same 10-.

cations and their rotation produces rotation of the surrounding or planetary gear 34, and, with the rotation of planetary gear 34, are, rotated shaft 31, pinion 44 (Figure 3), and gear 46. Further, assuming that gear 46 is connected to the wheel ID by locking pin 41, the resulting rotation of gear 46 produces the desired rotation of wheel I6 and the lowering of the valve stem I5, until the gate valve is closed.

When the gate valve has been fully seated further rotation of wheel I6, gear 46, pinion 44,.

shaft 37, and planetary gear 34, will then be impossible. However, since the motor still continues to run and thus to produce rotation of spur gear 26 and planetary pinions 32, the latter will be forced to move on the inside of planetary gearv 34 in a clockwise direct on (as viewed in Figure 4), necessitating clockwise rotation of pinion carrying member 21!. Such movement of the pinion carrying member 2'! will now force the rack 3| to move to the left against the tension of spring 51, and this in turn will cause the tripping arm 6| to push trip rod 62 to the left (as viewed in Figure 4). This movement of' the trip rod 62 to the left will swing the bracket I2, through the medium of the connecting spring 11, and break the connection between the pairs of contact points H and contact elements 16, causing the circuit to the motor to be disconthe switch is operated, and the position of the adjustable trip member 60 on the stem of the rack 3| will also affect the amount of torque load required to operate the switch and, in addition, will determine the length of the period from the time the rack first starts to be moved until the final throwing of the cut-off switch; which delayed action may be important when momentary obstructions are encounteremby the gate valve during its closing.

When the gate valve is to be opened the direction of the motor is reversed, and consequently,

thedirection of rotation of the various gears and pinions will be in the direction opposite to that previously-indicated. The rack 3| will return to the-position shown in Figure 4, but any further tendency of the pinion carrying member 21 to rotate counter-clockwise will be prevented, since the rack 3| cannot move further to the right, as apparent from Figure 4. Thus, re-

gardless of the additional power which may berequired to unseat the valve and start the opening of the same, the planetary pinions 32 will be held on fixed axesduring the opening operation and will force the planetary gear 34 to rotate clockwise, and such clockwise rotation of the gear 34, through the various connecting means previously described, will result in the rotation of the wheel I6 and the raising of the valve stem and connected gate valve.

The cam nut 90 (Figures 3 and 4), which is moved upwardly during the closing of the gate valve, moves downwardly during the operation of the mechanism to open the valve. When the gate valve is in fully-opened position, the cam nut 90 will contact the cam roller 86, and when this occurs,,the lever 85, as shown in Figure 6,

will move the trip rod I9 to the left against the fo ce of its spring 83. But, as apparent from Figure 4, movement of this trip rod 19 to the left will swing the bracket I3, to which it is connected by the snapover spring 18, which will open the contacts ll, I6, and shut off power to the motor in the manner to be later explained.

. The spring 83 on the trip rod I9 will return the t ip rod 19 to the normal position and will keep the contacts II, I6 closed at all times except when the cam nut 99 engages the cam roller 89.

The electrical switch connections, and the function and operation of the circuits, constituting part of theswitch C, can best be explained from the wiring diagram of Figure8, to which reference is now made. The reversible motor B is connected to the power lines 0:, y, and .2, by means of a magnetic switch 98 of conventional, well-known type, which need not be described. A manual switch 93, connected to' the power line 2 by'the conductor 95, is provided for 'controlling the entire operation of the device, and the various elements, in general, are soarranged that closing the switch with the terminal 94 will produce operation of the motor in one direction (thus for opening the gate valve) while closing the switch contact with the other terminal I06, will produce operation of the motor in the opposite direction (to close the gate valve).

Let it be assumed that the gate valve is open, that the trip rod 62 is in its normal, or extreme right position, with the bracket I2 swung so as to close the contacts II, 16, and that the device is now to be used to close the gate valve. The manual switch 93 is turned to close the contact to terminal I 06. Current then passes over the conductor I91, through one pair of breaker points II which are connected by contact elements I6, thence over conductor I08, to the magnetic switch 98. This will throw the magnetic switch 98 into such a position that cur- .be energized, indicating that the valve is open. When the closing of the valve and the movement of the trip rod 02, as previously described, result in the opening of the contacts II, IS, the signal means I04 will no longer be in operation.

The motor continues to operate, as mentioned,

until the closing of the gate valve results in the movement of the trip rod 02 and the opening of the contacts 10, II and when this occurs the current of conductor I08 is shut oil, which causes the magnetic switch 98 in turn to shut off the current to the motor B.

The operation of the switch wires will next be considered in the opening of the gate valve. The switch 93 is moved to close the contact to terminal 94, whereupon current passes over conductor 96, through one pair of closed contacts I6, 'II', and over conductor 9! to the magnetic switch 98. This causes current to be permitted to P to motor B to operate the motor in reverse or opening direction. Simultaneously current fromconductor 96 passes over the branch 99, through the second pair of contacts 16', II, through conductor I00, solenoid 8|, and conductor I02. The energizing of the solenoid 8I pulls the trip rod 62 back toits normal position, closing its control pairs of contacts I0, II, and the closing of one of these pairs of contacts causes the signal to be energized, as previously explained, now indicating that the gate valve is open.

When the gate valve has been opened to the full predetermined extent, the cam nut 90 (Figure 6), by engaging the cam roller 86, temporarily forces trip rod 19 to the right, which results in the opening of the related pairs of contacts 16', II shutting off current over conductor 91, and causing the magnetic switch 98 again to shut ofi current to the motor B. Although the trip rod 19 is now held in its extreme right position with the contacts 16', 1 I open, the trip rod 62 remains in its normal position with its corresponding contacts 16, II closed; and the signal I04 consequently continues to remain energized to, indicate that the gate valve is open.

I claim:

1. In a torque control for a gate valve operating mechanism of the character described, a driving shaft connected to a source of power, a spur gear secured on said driving shaft, a pinion-carrying member rotatably mounted about said driv ing shaft, means for holding said member against axial displacement, a plurality of planetary pinions rotatably supported on said member, said pinions meshin with said spur gear, a driven shaft connected with the valve operating mechanism, an internally-toothed planetary gear secured to one end of said driven shaft, said planetary gear extending about said pinions and the internal teeth of said planetary gear meshing with said pinions, said pinion-carrying member having external teeth on its perimeter, a rack bar slidably mounted for longitudinal movement and meshing with the external teeth on said pinioncarrying .member. means restricting the longitudinal movement of said rack bar in one direction, a spring normally holding said rack bar rack bar, an electric switch arranged to shut on said source or power, said switch having an actuating member positioned so as to be engaged by said engaging element and cause said switch to operate when said rack bar is moved a prede- \valve and the torque load on said mechanism exceeds a predetermined amount said rack bar will be caused to move against the force of said spring, but when said mechanism is functioning to open said valve said rack bar will be prevented from moving in the opposite direction by said means regardless of the torque load required for the opening of the valve, whereby the adjustment of said spring and the adjustment of said engaging element on said rack bar will determine the amount of excessive torque load and the period of time during which such excessive load may continue before said source of power will be automatically shut oil during the closing of the valve.

2. In a torque control for a gate valve operating mechanism of the character described, a driving shaft connected to an electric motor, a spur gear secured on said driving shaft, a pinion-carrying member rotatably mounted about said driving shaft, means for holding said member against axial displacement, a plurality of planetary pinions rotatably supported on said memher, said pinions meshing with said spur gear, a

- driven shaft connected with the valve operating mechanism, an internally-toothed planetary gear secured to one end of said driven shaft, said planetary gear extending about said pinions and the internal teethot said planetary gear meshing with said pinions, said pinion-carrying member having external teeth on its perimeter, a rack bar slidably mounted for longitudinal movement and meshin with the external teeth on said pinioncarrying member, a shoulder on said rack bar restricting the longitudinal movement of said rack bar in one direction, a spring on said rack bar normally holding said rack bar against movement in the opposite direction, means on said rack bar for adjusting the tension of said spring, an engaging element adiustably mounted on said rack bar, an electric switch arranged to shut off said electric motor, said switch having an actuating member positioned so as to be engaged by said engaging element and cause said switch to operatewhen said rack bar is moved a predetermined distance against the force of said spring, said pinion-carrying member, rack-bar and valve operating mechanism so arranged that when said mechanism is functioning to close the valve and the torque load on said mechanism exceeds a predetermined amount said rack bar will be caused to move against the force of said spring, but when said mechanism is .functioning to open said valve said rack bar will be prevented from moving in the opposite direction by said shoulder on said rack bar regardless of the torque load required for the opening of the valve, whereby the adjustment of said spring and th adjustment of said engaging element on said rack bar will determine the amount of excessive torque load and the period of time during which such excessive load may continue before said electric motor will be automatically shut off during the closing of the valve.

SAMUEL WEISS. 

